Southern Indiana/Northern Ky got hit yesterday with hurricane force winds for 5 continuous hours. 50 mph sustained with massive intervals reaching 81 mph. My neighbors bradford pear is on my front porch. Portions of my 100 ft.+ maple and oak trees are hanging from various areas of my back roof. A chunk of my other maple covers a portion of my front roof. My yard looks like a war zone. No traffic lights and about 1/2 million w/out power in the combined areas of the two states. Power not expected to return for 10-14 days. Luckily, about 5 houses in my neighborhood did not lose power, mine included. Compared to those in Texas, we're blessed though. I can't even imagine what Texas is going through. It was freaky ... walk outside, hear and see trees just falling one by one and power lines snapping just one after another. Located in the middle of the country, even. Crazy stuff, man. Hoping all the JEL fans and families are surviving . . .

It's good to see you comin' out, here! That's a taste of the good life, isn't it?! ( in reference to living in Florida) lol Sucks being without electricity. No hot water, food going to shit, etc, etc, etc. Im glad to see that you're pullin' through pretty well, Doob. Has anyone heard anything out of Mr.Metal in the last little while? I hope he's doing all right, as well.

Yes, I'm verrrrry blessed to have power. I'm almost to the stage of feeling guilty about it, though. When I see/hear of people fighting over ice or walk the neighborhood and see entire trees resting on my nabe's houses/cars/outbuildings!! It was the freakiest thing ... standing outside and just hearing tree after tree split and fall and all the power lines and transformers blowing one by one. It was a 5 hour panic attack for me, seriously. Just can't even imagine what they are going through in Texas when we only received a minor part of it less the rain! If we had been hit with 3 or 4 inches of precipitation on top of the wind we'd really be screwed.

Oh, my goodness had no ideal that TEXAS (Houston, Galveston, etc.,.) had gone through a major disaster: last I heard was some sorta storm was gonna brush by the coast line of Texas but my goodness it went further then that it went inland. Then just yesterday/early morn switch on the news and went "cold" the ocean storm hit Texas really hard & hope that a many Citizens vacated/left before that deadly storm hitted the Coastline ...'all those homes barely standing or gone AND I hope all is being taken care of to heart the people that are there need major help, food, water, medicine, transportation, etc.,. We all have someone dearly special that live near/or been through such tragedies and hope all your love ones are okay...'our Mr. Metal & the Mint's<>my friends (I also have relatives/live there Houston, their doing fine) lives in TEXAS and I pray that they are alright. I get the feeling their doing just fine, their quite stubborn. Anyway, what ever you can do to help TEXAS the Citizens there through this tragedy time...'lets do so. Peace, we're planning on sending care food packages through our Church, Godbless.

Ike came right over my location. At one point my house started to shake from the wind it was so strong. I lost some of my roof and my fence. I'm an insurance agent out here and I have many clients who lost everything. Some of their homes were literally washed out to sea.

I haven't heard from Mr. Metal yet. He lives just a few miles from me so hopefully he, his family and his property are all okay. I was without power until late monday night at home, and late Tuesday at my office. Walt may not have his power back on yet.

Apparently there are several dead bodies still washing up in Galveston, about 25 miles from me. This is going to be a long recovery for this area. FEMA is so full of shit it's increadible. They need to just pack up and get the hell out.

Best regards to everyone here...it's good to be alive and have a roof over my head.

That's some chilly heartbreaking news update, there Mr. Fretman..'I did not know you were from, TEXAS too and knew that Mr. Metal was from TX but the area I was unsure so your both from Houston, Texas (also Galveston, TX was hit very hard, as well!) & was got in the eye of the ocean/storm hurricane . How devastating, horrific & scary that must have been and you all are still going through so very much hurt & pain there of losing some of your properties, land, damage grounds/and homes, electricity etc.,. and although the help is slowing gettin' around/it should of been more structured/well planned for the US citizens that so need the help & rescue food/etc.,. "thank" goodness for those that go about helping others in which many Texans & other US citizens have done from other States just get on that plan & help out the State of TEXAS because the Government/this FEMA is not as well structured as we had hope it would/should be...'I'm surprise at their slow process of helping, you would thank they would be more structurely grounded after the NEW ORLEANS/Katrina castastopher, how sad! Hopefully as the minutes & I say minutes not days or months that this FEMA get their act together! Peace and I'm very thrilled/happy to hear that you Fretman & Mr. Metal (you mentioned he lives close by, in Houston too! Just his answering lines are done..'he better be okay, he & his family: I'm quite sure Walt brought his family to safer grounds) and the 'mint's their are just doing fine. Keep us up-dated on how things are coming along, okay Fretman? Okay! Peace and Godbless.

Walt and Jake - I'm glad you two checked in. I was worried about you guys!!
Our office is taking a lot of the overflow hurricane claims - it's really bad. I'm glad that your houses are still standing - that's a plus

Heeey MRWaltMETAL, it's great to see you coming out, bud! Earlier, I was looking at an e-mail with a bunch of pictures that were shot at different locations around the Texas coast, and none of them were very easy or fun to look at! Very close to complete desolation . . . We're praying for you, and again, it's great to see you comin' around!

I'm "beaming" here..'thank goodness and happy to hear your doing just fine Mr. Metal and Fretman (you & Frethead names are too similar but the avatar of you/Fretman is spooky ghastly "very" scary gives me the shivers! Your the Reaper, I take it. ). HURRICANES are no jerk it's really heartbreaking that your homes were triffle & many destroyed and many of the TX Citizens have to start all over again...'that's the heartbreak. Hope that you both didn't lose much thank goodness you & your families are fine & you got them out to be in a safer place...'now that's priceless nothing can ever replace that. Once again, please to know your "all" well & in time TEXAS will be back on it's feet, again Big time, Peace & Godbless.